Disney lost so much money they can't do lobbying anymore and extend their patents
L M A O
(media.kotakuinaction2.win)
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It was not a thing in the past because Disney could buy politicians to extend patents, so every single time it was coming closer, they just went full lobby mode and got more years into the law. But now they are so broke after so many failures that they didn't even managed to do that.
I think you mean copyrights. Patents still expire in the lifetime of their creator, I think.
This is one of the reasons WD-40 was never patented--and why there are no generics.
A patent would require them to disclose how it's made.
Yeah patents need to be obliterated - inventors of products have the first mover advantage on a product which is easily incentive enough to invent something. You don't need to give them a 20-year heat start - a smart inventor with a good product can make a ton of money without a patent.
Could someone steal the design and compete? Sure, but it would take them years to do so because you would have the design and already be producing the product and agile enough to respond far before a competitor could defeat you. And if they are able to defeat you, it's because you were unable to maintain market viability.
Patents are functionally just tools used to beat other inventors with the club of the law to try to get government-mandated monopolies.
I imagine pissing off a significant chunk of the politicians who could help extend your copyright probably also doesnt help. Not that they would say no, but probably that it would make them angry enough the money needed to make them dance is now too high.